Gainesville Composite Squadron - Civil Air Patrol

Welcome to Gainesville Civil Air Patrol

Thank you for visiting the Gainesville Composite Squadron website. We are located in Gainesville, Florida. Our members have been serving the community, state, and nation for over 50 years.

We welcome you to browse our site. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Announcements

This Week

Due to Summer Encampment and the holiday weekend, the squadron meeting for Thursday, 2 July has been cancelled. We will resume our regular meeting schedule next week.

C/Lhota Earns Earhart, Attends Civic Leadership Academy

Photo: (L-R) U.S. Congressman Cliff Stearns, C/CaptTim Lhota and Col William Brockman. (Photo by Ryan Easterling, CAP NHQ)

by 1st Lt Rich Lhota

When C/Tim Lhota first visited Washington DC at the age of four, he never dreamed that 12 years later he would have the opportunity to return to this historic and influential city as Cadet Commander of our squadron and be promoted to C/Captain by his United States Congressman, Cliff Stearns.

This year Lhota was one of only 24 CAP cadets nationwide who were selected to attend the Civic Leadership Academy, a week-long CAP National Cadet Special Activity. While at CLA, he toured Congress, the Supreme Court, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the State Department, Pentagon, CIA, FBI, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and Arlington Cemetery, as well as other famous landmarks throughout Washington DC.

While Lhota was in Washington DC he had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Cliff Stearns who presented him with the Amelia Earhart Award. Only 3% of all Civil Air Patrol Cadets receive this award which promotes Lhota to the rank of Cadet Captain.

Gainesville Repeats FLWG Academic Bowl Title

L-R: C/Lhota, C/Jakowczuk, C/Davidson

Gainesville's Academic Bowl team, consisting of C/1st Lt Tim Lhota, C/2d Lt Tiffany Jakowczuk and C/CMSgt Josh Davidson have won the 2009 FLWG Academic Bowl. As Florida Wing's first repeat champions, the team earned the Tom Welch Academic Trophy for the second consecutive year.

Held at the 2009 Florida Wing Conference in Orlando, the Academic Bowl pitted cadet teams against one another in a single-elimination quiz-bowl style tournament. Questions included leadership, aerospace, current events and general CAP knowledge. Not only did the Gainesville team defeat all the other cadet teams, but also defeated a team of senior members, including a Spaatz recipient!

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